Clinics and Training The Irish Blind (I.B.G.) provides training, development and playing opportunities for visually impaired and blind golfers.
When golf is played by a fully sighted person, they don’t have to think twice about teeing the ball up, lining up the shot, observing the flight of the ball after it has been struck, and finding where it has landed.
Golfers with severe visual impairments, may have little or no difficulty actually hitting the ball, but what then!? What’s the correct direction? How far is the hole? Where has the ball finished?
Blind golf is a two person sport. Firstly there’s the player who has the technique to play the stroke, then there’s the guide. That’s the second person, the one who takes care of lining the player up, knowing when it is safe to hit, calculating yardage, reading putts and making decisions around course management.
In 2010, Irish Blind Golf Society worked in association with County Cork Local Sports Partnership to organise clinics once a month for blind and visually impaired people interested in playing golf. The clinics took place in East Cork G.C., FOTA Academy and in Douglas Pitch and Putt course. The clinics will continue in 2012, and will include professional tuition by P.G.A. qualified teaching pros. The clinics are fun events set up for new and experienced golfers, of all ages, with visual impairments.
We have found that about 30% of the people who attend our clinics wish to learn more about how to play golf. There is a transition phase between clinics and playing on an 18 hole golf course. This needs to be met by providing one to one tuition, between a trainee golfer and a qualified PGA golf teacher. In 2011, we will provide financial support for golf lessons to a limited number of golfers suffering from sight loss.
Wherever you live in Ireland we will work with you to develop a training programme. So whether you are a beginner or an experienced golfer we will put together a training programme for you in your neighbourhood. We usually meet half of the tuition costs, and work in association with PGA qualified professional golfers. For more information email us on irishblindgolf@hotmail.com
There will be clinics in Dublin, in association with the Irish Blind Golf. Details will be posted in due course.
Fingal
Blind Golf
Fingal Sports Partnership started Blind Golf lessons in 2012.
To date we have delivered six lessons so far for twelve people ranging in age from 8 – 75. The lessons are run out of the local driving range with a local golf professional who guides the players through the mechanics of the swing as well as the stance required to maximise ball contact and hit length. In terms of progressing to playing on a course all players must have a sighted guide to act as an aid in terms of set up and locating of the golf ball during play.
Like all minority sports growth is a slow and steady process and this is especially for the sport of Blind Golf. The lessons have developed and the participants have also developed their golf game and with the Irish Blind Golf Open been hosted in Fingal in July we are hoping it can help raise awareness and increase participation of people who are blind into the sport.
For further information contact Marion Brown at marion.brown@fingalcoco.ie / 01 890 5107.
Blind Golf
Fingal Sports Partnership started Blind Golf lessons in 2012.
To date we have delivered six lessons so far for twelve people ranging in age from 8 – 75. The lessons are run out of the local driving range with a local golf professional who guides the players through the mechanics of the swing as well as the stance required to maximise ball contact and hit length. In terms of progressing to playing on a course all players must have a sighted guide to act as an aid in terms of set up and locating of the golf ball during play.
Like all minority sports growth is a slow and steady process and this is especially for the sport of Blind Golf. The lessons have developed and the participants have also developed their golf game and with the Irish Blind Golf Open been hosted in Fingal in July we are hoping it can help raise awareness and increase participation of people who are blind into the sport.
For further information contact Marion Brown at marion.brown@fingalcoco.ie / 01 890 5107.
